BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Chapter 4Expanding Overseas Business DevelopmentSection 1 The Progress of Overseas Regional Management1 Four Key Regions Plus One BusinessOperating StrategyFollowing the merger with Tomen in 2006, ToyotaTsusho Corporation introduced a product division-basedmanagement. However, this system lacked an overseasregional perspective and was reviewed two years laterin 2008. Adding the perspective of overseas operations,Toyota Tsusho began looking at operating by“Four keyoperating regions other than Japan plus One strategy,”consisting of the four key regions of China, Asia-Pacific,Europe, and North America plus emerging and resourcerichnations. A key region did not indicate simply anarea of geography; rather, it was an operational bodywhere the goal was to engage in independent businessoperations rooted in the history, values, and climateof each area. Each key region was therefore grantedauthority over and responsibility for supervising theoperating companies in its area. Toyota Tsusho launchedthis system in November 2011.2 Conversion to Five Key Regions Plus OneAfrica had been managed and administered by theEurope region since 2006. With the buying out of CFAO,Toyota Tsusho began full-scale development of itsAfrican business and established the African Division inApril 2017. Key overseas region operations were nowmanaged based on a strategy of five key regions, withAfrica added to East Asia, Asia-Pacific, Europe, andNorth America, plus one.Five Key Regions + Emerging RegionsEurope Region (including Russia)North America RegionEast Asia RegionAfrica RegionAsia Pacific Region(including India)Emerging Regions(South America, Middle East, Central Asia)Five key operating regions other than Japan plus oneHistory151